Abstract
Semantic memory representations are overall well-maintained in aging whereas semantic control is thought to be more affected. To explain this phenomenon, this study aims to test the predictions of the Compensation Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH) focusing on task demands in aging as a possible framework. The CRUNCH effect would manifest itself in semantic tasks through a compensatory increase in neural activation in semantic control network regions but only up to a certain threshold of task demands. This study will compare 40 young (20-35 years old) with 40 older participants (60-75 years old) in a triad-based semantic judgment task performed in an fMRI scanner while manipulating levels of task demands (low vs. high) through semantic distance. In line with the CRUNCH predictions, differences in neurofunctional activation and behavioral performance (accuracy and response times) are expected in young vs. old participants in the low- vs. high-demand conditions manifested in semantic control Regions of Interest.
Highlights
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Language overall is well preserved in aging [1] and semantic memory may even improve across the lifespan [2,3,4,5,6], despite numerous neurophysiological declines in other cognitive domains that occur in the aging brain [6,7,8]
The present study focuses on the question of preservation of semantic memory in aging, defined as the ‘cognitive act of accessing stored knowledge about the world’ [27] using a semantic judgment task manipulating semantic control with two demand levels
Summary
Language overall is well preserved in aging [1] and semantic memory may even improve across the lifespan [2,3,4,5,6], despite numerous neurophysiological declines in other cognitive domains that occur in the aging brain [6,7,8]. When compared with attention or memory, the relative preservation of language throughout lifetime [9] could be justified by the necessity to maintain successful communication, resulting in compensatory, flexible or atypical recruitment of neural resources [6]. Performance in terms of accuracy in semantic tasks is generally well maintained in older adults considering their more extensive experience with word use and a larger vocabulary than younger adults [2, 5, 6, 10,11,12,13]. Response times (RTs) are often longer compared to younger adults [10], possibly because older adults are slower in accessing and retrieving conceptual representations from their semantic store [14,15,16], engaging the required.
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